What Are the Different Types of Leadership Qualifications?

Leadership qualifications consist of many traits, both personal as well as professional. Truthfulness, honesty and integrity are just a few. Other assets, such as knowledge, communication skills and problem-solving abilities, are other leadership qualifications that give credibility to a person's abilities to lead. In certain fields, bravery and tactfulness are also seen as leadership qualifications that can set a leader apart from the rest of a group.

A basic skill of a leader is the ability to effectively lead. This requires certain aspects of a person's persona to stand out against others who may attempt to interfere. The ability to stand strong to a belief — even when faced with overwhelming conflict and doubt — is another of the leadership qualifications that can be used to define most good leaders. Vision, drive to reach the vision and the skill to make it happen are the most basic of all leadership qualifications. An effective leader is not only able to see the goal, he or she is able to motivate others to aid in reaching the goal through hard work, determination and focus.

Certain traits are a must for any leadership candidate. Communication skills rank near the top of a long list of leadership qualifications required to effectively convey an idea to others. The leader must be able to persuade others to join in a common mission in an attempt to reach a certain goal. The most common method of achieving this is through speech. Using speech, a leader is able to properly direct others' line of thought in a common direction and encourage them to have the same vision as the group. Once this has been accomplished, the next qualification, the drive to reach the vision, is called upon.

Honesty and integrity typically go hand-in-hand with a leader's drive to reach a certain objective. Any fault in character can dissuade followers and create dissension among the group. The ability to put people at ease when speaking to them goes a long way for a potential leadership candidate.

Possessing the skill to reach a vision or goal entails several traits all combined into one of the most important of all leadership qualifications, the willingness to lead. Knowledge of the subject at hand, the ability to solve unforeseen problems and the capacity to improvise when needed are often coupled with tactfulness when attempting to direct a group of followers toward the ultimate goal. Many of the most noted leaders in world history were made infamous by being willing and able to improvise when the original plan failed to produce favorable results.